Pre-Trip: Joe Dodge Lodge
Afternoon/ Evening:
A challenge of the Presi Traverse is that it starts and ends in different places. Luckily, hikers can count on AMC's White Mountain Hiker Shuttle. We recommend parking at the AMC Highland Center, the route's southern terminus, and then taking the shuttle to AMC Joe Dodge Lodge, near your start point. This will allow you to be at your car at the end of the journey.
Once you've checked in at “JDL,” get situated for your journey and enjoy some front-country hospitality. The lodge offers private rooms, bunkrooms, and family-style meals next door at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. The Visitor Center store for any gear you forgot, including the 10 Essentials. Located at the base of Mount Washington, the lodge provides a sneak peek of the Presidential Range from the ground. Just think; soon you’ll be all the way up there!
Day 1: Joe Dodge Lodge to Madison Spring Hut
Morning:
After a buffet-style breakfast at Pinkham Notch Visitors Center (open at 6:30am), it’s time for the adventure to begin. Drive or take the AMC Hiker Shuttle to the Appalachia Trailhead in Randolph, New Hampshire. This is the Northern Terminus of the Presidential Traverse.
From the Appalachia Trailhead, hike to Madison Spring Hut along either the Valley Way Trail or the Airline Trail. Valley Way Trail leads directly to Madison Spring Hut, past several waterfalls. Airline Trail, as its name suggests, is steep and offers views of King Ravine and Snyder Glen. Take the Airline Cutoff to Madison Spring Hut. Both routes are around four miles long, with 3,500 feet of elevation gain. This is some of the steepest climbing in the entire trip.
Afternoon/ Evening:
Madison Spring Hut sits above treeline, between Mount Madison and Mount Adams. The afternoon, depending on the conditions and how much daylight is left, is your opportunity to summit Mount Madison. From the hut, the summit is only a 0.8-mile round trip, with 550 feet of elevation gain.
With that, your first day hiking the Presidential Traverse is complete. Settle into your bunk and get to know your fellow hikers and Hut Croo over dinner. Outdoor enthusiasts come from all over the world to hike in these mountains, so you’ll be sure to make some interesting new friends.
Day 2: Madison Spring Hut to Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Morning/ Afternoon:
Get ready to experience everything that makes the Presidential Traverse a true bucket list trip. Miles of Appalachian Trail hiking above treeline? Check. The tallest mountains in New England? Check. Since you’ll be waking up at 4,600 feet, you can do it all with relatively limited elevation gain.
Most of the morning’s hiking will be on the Gulfside Trail, which is also a section of the famed Appalachian Trail. From Madison Spring Hut, you’ll take the trail along the Presidential Ridgeline with the opportunity to summit four peaks: Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, Mount Clay, and finally Mount Washington. These will add an extra mile of total distance to the day, and about 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
From Madison Spring Hut, head out on the Gulfside Trail or take the Star Lake Trail to the summit of Mount Adams. If you choose to go straight to the summit, you can descend along Lowe’s Path, back to the Gulfside Trail. Continuing along the ridgeline, you’ll have the opportunity for a short but steep out-and-back to Mount Jefferson and a summit of Mount Clay on the Mount Clay Loop.
After passing the Cog Railway on the Gulfside Trail, take the Trinity Heights Connector to the summit of Mount Washington. Enjoy the view (or the unique feeling of sitting in the fog more than 6,000 feet up)! When you've had your fill, the Crawford Path leads down from the summit and right to AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut.
Evening:
Lakes of the Clouds Hut is the most popular hut in AMC’s backcountry hut system for a reason. The hut is situated alongside the highest elevation lakes in the eastern U.S. It’s where water meets the mountains, and mountains meet the sky.
You can learn more about this unique environment from the Lakes of the Clouds Hut naturalist. Each hut has a dedicated naturalist to lead a rotating list of educational programs and to aid AMC conservation research.
Day 3: Lakes of the Clouds Hut to Mizpah Spring Hut
Morning/ Afternoon:
Welcome to the Southern Presidentials! After breakfast at Lakes of the Clouds, make your way to an early morning summit of Mount Monroe. From the hut, follow the Crawford Path to the Monroe Loop trail. This short spur rises only 360 feet to the summit.
Loop back to the Crawford Path and continue south on it. Follow the path above treeline for 3.9 miles, with an optional 0.8 mile to the summit of Mount Eisenhower. Not only is this footpath a beauty, it’s also historic. Built in 1819, it’s considered the oldest continuously used and maintained hiking trail in the U.S.
Just before Mount Pierce, turn onto the Webster Cliff Trail and take it to the summit. Continue on the Webster Cliff Trail to Mizpah Spring Hut, your destination for the evening. Completed in 1964, almost 150 years after the Crawford Path, Mizpah Spring is the newest hut in the AMC system.
Day 4: Mizpah Spring Hut to the Highland Center
Morning:
From Mizpah Spring Hut, it’s just a short hike off the trail and to your destination, the AMC Highland Center. Take the 0.7-mile Mizpah Cutoff trail back to the Crawford Path and continue 1.5 miles until you hit the end of the trail at New Hampshire Route 302 and the Highland Center. Congulations, you've just completed the Presidential Traverse!
Afternoon:
The Highland Center is a year-round, full-service lodge that’s the perfect place to take a load off after a great adventure. Unwind in the large common area. Purchase a lunchtime sandwich or even a celebratory beverage!
Note that the Presidential Traverse is a point-to-point hike. If you’ve left your car at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center or the Appalachia Trailhead, you can return with the AMC Hiker Shuttle.
From unique ecosystems to massive peaks, the Presidential Ridge is a world unto itself. If you’ve been looking to check a traverse off your list, this is your season! To take on this challenge with a group, look for trips hosted by AMC’s professional guides or your local AMC chapter. Leadership from an expert or seasoned professional can remove some of the guesswork and logistics involved for a smoother experience.
